October 2012 Archives

Hurricane Sandy is ramping up in parts of the country and one of the threats she's bringing is a risk of injuries from sources that are otherwise safe.

It's not just hurricanes that bring about added danger. Snow storms, tornados, and other natural disasters can leave you in a dangerous position. The biggest risk is that you won't know what to look out for.

Besides making sure you're covered by insurance in case of damage to your home, there are other things you need to think about when it comes to weathering the storm.

Aside from the sugar overload that is necessary for a fun Halloween, there are some important things to remember about candy safety.

Every year there are stories of children who get sick or die as a result of unsafe candy and treats. Just because no one is intentionally trying to hurt your child doesn't mean there aren't health concerns you should avoid.

Before your little ghouls and heroes go out trick-or-treating, make sure you have some ground rules to keep them safe this Halloween.

Earlier this year, Alexander was arrested as part of an international child porn ring and charged with multiple crimes. He pleaded guilty to some of the criminal charges in a plea deal but now the family of one girl he abused has filed a civil lawsuit as well.

While a criminal suit is meant to punish people who endanger public safety, a civil suit is designed to compensate the victim. That's what the family is hoping to do although the harm is serious.

Monster Energy Drink markets itself as the "killer energy brew" and "the meanest energy supplement on the planet," reports The Associated Press.

However, the company probably did not expect these taglines to be taken literally. In its defense, the company says that it is unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been definitively linked to its drinks.

What is a frivolous lawsuit? The phrase may trigger associations with some famous cases, such as the McDonald's spilled coffee case (though that lawsuit was actually not frivolous, for reasons that will be explained below).

The study's findings should not be that surprising as you're likely to be unfocused and distracted when you are sick.

Still, as more employees lose their rights to paid time off, more workers are taking the risk by working sick so that they will not lose any pay. But if you get injured at work, can you blame your employer and sue for not giving you paid time off?

State and local governments create laws on public health, including regulations meant to improve home safety.

Those laws don't just apply to businesses and public spaces. They can also affect your home or the residential buildings you own as a landlord. Not following those rules can result in a hefty fine or a lawsuit if an injury results from lack of safety equipment.

Never mind the legal ramifications, not having these devices puts you and your family at risk every day. It's not a long list so make sure you have it all.

Fair-goers at the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina took home something more sinister than new pet goldfish and candy apples this weekend, many of them came home with E. coli.

The bacteria is a leading cause of food poisoning and so far has affected 46 people, including one little boy who died of the infection. Two-year-old Gage Lafevers passed away from the infection on Friday, reports Charlotte WBTV-TV.

Barbe Puro received a steroid injection for chronic back pain in September and shortly after the injection she suffered headaches and nausea. But she was later informed that the shots she received may have been contaminated. To test for meningitis Puro had to undergo a painful spinal tap, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.

Her lawsuit seeks to hold the company responsible for the injuries she suffered and for the injuries suffered by everyone who received the tainted drugs.

Morris says she was talking on her cell phone on the night of the arrest back in 2011. The police treated her roughly during the arrest, 'violently' put her face-down in the back of the squad car and tased her until she passed out, according to the complaint.

Two weeks later, Morris lost her baby. Now she's turned to the legal system for justice.

Edward Archbold was the winner/victim of the contest at the Ben Siegel Reptile Store. The 32-year-old man downed dozens of live roaches and other bugs to win the contest. He beat out 30 other contestants and took home the grand prize -- a python.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of death and it's unsure if eating the live insects caused the man to die. The store owner who held the contest said that Archbold appeared healthy before the start of the contest and was just having fun and showing off, reports The Associated Press.

Angelica Keller was sitting in the front row of a flight in December 2011 when she asked for a cup of tea. Passengers in the first row didn't have tray tables to hold their drinks. When Keller received her tea it came as a cup of hot water that was tucked in a second cup containing a tea bag.

Keller struggled to get the tea bag out of the cup and in doing so spilled the hot water on her lap. The injuries she suffered are the basis of her lawsuit.

New Yorker Daniel Williams was shot nearly a decade ago. In an unusual lawsuit, he then sued Ohio-based gun manufacturer Beemiller, distributor MKS Supply, and the dealer of the pistol used to shoot him.

Lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributors are relatively rare because there's a federal law that insulates them from such liability, reports Reuters. However, a New York appeals court overturned an earlier decision and allowed Williams to go ahead with his lawsuit.

Patrick Gallagher was celebrating his impending marriage with a bachelor's party at the Penthouse Club when his friends got him the club's "Bachelor's Package." As part of the package, the man was invited onstage and got some very personal attention from the dancers, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.

However, one stripper may have gotten a little too close for comfort. She reportedly asked Gallagher to lay down underneath the stripper pole and then slid down the pole onto his abdomen.

If you get behind the wheels of a car, chances are at some point in your life you will get into some kind of car accident. As a result, you will need a car accident checklist of what to do following the accident.

The most critical moments following a car accident are the moments immediately after. There are several things you will need to take care of at the scene of the accident, which usually cannot be recreated later on.

Assault is not an acceptable way to deal with a situation especially if you're a cop. A Philadelphia officer learned this lesson last week.

Lieutenant Jonathan Josey received a 30-day suspension with intent to fire after an incident that took place on Sunday. A video captured Josey hitting a woman in the face during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. At the time he suspected her of throwing liquid on him although it later became clear she wasn't the one who did it.

The leaves are changing color, there's a chill in the air, no mistaking it: it's football season and that means bring on the tailgate parties.

There's not a whole lot better than getting together with friends on a Sunday before the game to grill and have a few beers before you head into the stadium. But given the surroundings there are some things you need to be careful about.

This time we aren't talking about drinking and driving; we're assuming you know that's never a good combination. These safety tips are about concerns that come up during the party.

To make matters worse, the teacher claiming injury is a 220-pound hulk of a man, and former college running back, reports the New York Post.

The teacher, 27-year-old John Webster, said that he was accompanying a group of first graders to the cafeteria for lunch. That's when the alleged perp started horsing around prompting Webster to chide him. Unbeknownst to Webster, the child channeled his inner Bruce Lee and karate-kicked the teacher and several others, reports the Post.

When you go watch a football game, you expect the injuries to happen on the field of battle. After all, 300-pound men who can run 40 yards in less than five seconds are not charging down the field to hit you. Still, you may be surprised at the amount of football stadium injuries to befall fans.

Fan injuries can range from the comical to the tragic. And the source of injuries are usually not from where you would expect.

Here are our top three unexpected ways that a football fan can get injured while attending a game:

At some point, we've all been stuck with an inconsiderate, obnoxious neighbor. But when your neighbor insists on loud pumping music very late at night, every night, you may have reached the point where you're wondering whether you can sue your noisy neighbor.

The easy answer is "yes." If your neighbors' noise is bothering you and nothing you have done to resolve the situation has worked, you have every right to file a lawsuit.

But whether you have a winning lawsuit and what kind of damages you can expect will depend upon the specific facts of your case and just how noisy your neighbor really is.